Permission to Be Extraordinary:
Dare Something Worthy!

By Roxanne Emmerich

Organizations have been promoting the concept of “customer satisfaction” for decades. At first blush this sounds like a good idea, and it seems rational enough, but hey, here’s a thought. If a customer is satisfied with their service, but can get a better price somewhere else, why should they stay with you? And let’s look at things from your perspective: how soul-fulfilling is it for you to have yet another “satisfied” customer?

What you really want to do with your customers, for them, actually, goes way beyond satisfaction. Customer success is what matters: making a lasting difference, transforming your interactions from a simple business transaction to a profound exchange between two human beings that creates a transformation of more success for the customer. This is the essence of true service.

Not that this is your only goal, but customers will pay huge premiums when they see you’re making a positive difference in their lives. When you add value that improves their success, they simply won’t leave. In addition, making a positive impact on others also feeds your spirit. When you focus on something larger than yourself and concentrate on making a difference, the rewards are immeasurable.

Wayne Dyer, author of There Is a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem, says you absolutely can’t be depressed when you’re being kind to others. Here’s proof. Think about the last day you were in a funk. Yes, the one you spent all day in your pajamas on the sofa wailing about how unfair life is.

Maybe you were thinking about your dad who is a mathematician and your mom who is a doctor and your brother who is a physicist—and then there’s little old you, who likes to color. Life just hasn’t turned out the way you had hoped.

Now, if I may be so bold, it wasn’t just your pajamas you were wrapped up in that day — who were you thinking about? That’s right. Poor, pitiful YOU!  Yes, I’ve been there too. It’s easy to feel miserable when you focus on your problems. How could you not? However, it is simply impossible to be gloomy when you turn your focus toward helping others. Being of service is the ultimate antidote you can give yourself when you’re down—and you don’t need a prescription.  Not only do others benefit when you reach out, you do too, big time!

Wallace Wattles, author of The Science of Getting Rich, talks about the Ten Times Multiplier. His theory is that if you give ten times more value to a customer than you collect in cash, customers will beat a path to your door.

Giving “value” doesn’t mean it has to cost more. The added value you offer could be advice. It could be a system for staying in touch and providing continuing support. It could be ongoing education you give your clients by sending articles or newsletters. It could be as simple as asking customers about their needs, listening carefully, and thinking about how to fully meet those needs before you suggest a solution.

There are two kinds of people in life and business—givers and takers. Givers are always finding ways to make an impact on others. They give freely so they can help make their team look good and accomplish great things. They focus on making a difference through their work. And then there are the takers. They’re the ones who ask in a first interview how much vacation they will receive. They push the limits to see how little effort they can get away with. They worry about giving more value than the required hours and job description demands. They complain and find fault, often saying things like, “It’s not my job.” “Nobody told me.” “What’s in it for me?”  

In his insightful book, Influence, Robert Cialdini discusses the power of reciprocity. He believes that when you give to another, it creates a powerful and insatiable need in that person to give back. So when you give to your customers, they will reward you by buying more, bringing more business, giving more compliments, paying you more money, and sending more referrals.

Be mindful that there is a spiritual lesson here. If you give in the spirit of manipulation or only with the intent of getting, or gaining an advantage (which is, of course, the position of the taker), it could backfire. Spiritual principles are at work all the time, and violations of the giving principle can create “bad karma.”

Be a giver because it feels good for both parties, because it’s a joy to light up someone’s life, even momentarily, and the returns will naturally come back to you.

Life gives to the givers and takes from the takers and the world has a perfect accounting system. Sometimes it’s mind boggling how simple life can be once we get out of our own way. Considering how much energy the takers expend in their attempts to protect their own interests. It takes more energy to complain about not getting a raise than to deserve one. And then think about how effortless life seems for the givers of the world, the people who regard life as an endless opportunity to make a difference. It’s that tenfold principle doing its work.

Read other articles and learn more about Roxanne Emmerich.

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